Quick post to share a few pictures from my recent trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The flight out was ~12.5 hours from Dulles to Doha, Qatar followed by a 1.5 hour flight to Riyadh. As we approached Riyadh, I spent a little time looking out the window and a saw a whole lot of dirt and sand...not much else. Riyadh is surrounded by the an-Nafud desert, which is the second largest desert on the Arabian peninsula.
The flight intentionally flew around Israel, Gaza and Lebanon and I'm guessing it's due to the ongoing war in Gaza and potential war with Lebanon.
Driving in from the airport, the driver pointed out a bunch craness off to our right and said Riyadh is hosting the 2034 World Cup (soccer) tournament. Construction had already begun on the new stadium for the main event.
Similar to how a bible can be found in most American hotels, a Qur'an and prayer rug can be found in most Middle Eastern hotel rooms.
In addition, there's always an arrow on the ceiling that points to Mecca, the most holy site in the Mulsim religion, which is also located in Saudi Arabia. Qibla means "direction" in Arabic.
It was HOT! In the mid-to-upper 110s every day. As silly as it sounds, at least it was a dry heat so there was no humidity. I went for a walk around the hotel one night at 9pm to call the family and it was still 101 degrees. The Saudis said it was hotter than normal and should only last for another week or two.
Waterfall in the courtyard of the embassy. We couldn't take many pictures at the embassy, which is standard security protocol.
Me and the technical team from the White House Communications Agency (WHCA).
A few pictures from around Riyadh's old town.
This is Deera Square, also known as Justice Square or Chop-Chop Square as this is where many public executions take place. Saudi Arabia is the only country with legal capital punishment through decapitation. The last public executions were in 2022 and 196 people were executed that year.
Ministry of Interior building.
Tabbouleh is a Lebanese salad that I'm sure you've tried with me at some point, it was my favorite side dish while in Lebanon. I found a Lebanese take out eatery in the mall and had a nice big bowl of tabbouleh. I was just as delicious as I remember.
This is Kingdom Tower and they have a Sky Bridge at the top of the building. The team and I headed over on our free day (Wednesday) and were planning to walk across the sky bridge. To our dismay, we found it was closed for 2 months due to renovation. Boooo.
Pics from the mall at the base of Kingdom Tower. Palm trees are fake.
With Kingdom Tower closed, we headed to Al Faisaliah Tower for a similar view of the city. Al Faisaliah (named after a previous King (Faisal)), was the tallest building in Saudi Arabia from 2000-2002 when it was first built before another taller building was constructed. It's the pyramid looking Tower in the below picture, it's further off in the distance but looks smaller in this picture.
A scale model of the building located in shops at the base of the building.
The viewing platform is known as The Globe.
A portion of the Saudi team supporting our visit. I am standing next to Faisal, who overseas IT for all of the Saudi "Royal Court". Royal Court is basically the core of their central government. What a wecloming and kind host, happy to talk about his culture and teach us about Saudi traditions and practices. We shared several cups of tea and coffee (a must in the Arab culture) a long with delicious Saudi dates and other tasty snacks. The Saudi in the middle is Salman, a nice younger guy who travels to Orlando every year for vacation. He's a bit of a bachelor so he rents a convertible Corvette every time he goes and was proud to show us pictures with him and many beautiful women in America. Nice guy and very welcoming as well.
The inside of the traditional Saudi restaurant we ate at called Aseeb, which means 'palm frond' in Arabic (hence the palm fronds on the wall art). Notice the large wooden door, it was massive. You can see the portion that opens, which is the bottom third of the door.
My favorite picture of the trip. This is one of the traditional entertaining rooms where everyone sits along the walls so your back is not to anyone (a no-no in Saudi culture). He told us all about the room and various aspects of it, it was interesting learning about the traditions and history.
This is 'laban', a yogurt-y buttermilk drink that is traditionally served. It was thick, cold and tasty.
Saudi team with milk and fatayer, which is basically a type of samosa. I didn't get any other pictures of dinner but we had various platters to share that included camel stew, lamb, sheep, goat and beef. It was all delicious! Too bad it was out last meal in country as we were literally heading out the airport about 2 hours after we finished the meal.
Bathroom at the airport. Luckily, I realized there was a separate side of the bathrooms with traditional toilets. Whew. I was close to havint to use this.
On the plane heading home sweet home. It's always exciting to travel and see new places and meet new people, but it's also always nice to come back home! So long Saudi, thanks for the memories.
For the kids' winter break this year, we took them on a 6-day trip through Italy to experience one of our favorite countries. Michelle and I first visited Italy 20 years ago and we wanted the kids to experience the sane food, sites, and overall experience. There are lots of pictures so it may take a while.
At the Warsaw airport, I spotted a kid's playset and jokingly asked Kaitlyn if she wanted to play in it. Her response was something to the effect of "Dad, that's not even funny, no I don't want to play in it". I turn to Jonathan and ask the same question and he happily responded "really, can I?". They are such polar opposites!
We landed at the Venice airport, which is not located on the island of Venice, and took a bus to the island. There are no vehicles on the island of Venice, all travel and deliveries are done via boat or foot. All tourists navigate by cell phone as the city is a maze of tall buildings and narrow walkways. Even with a cell phone, it takes a while to properly navigate the streets to your destination (expect to get lost). We made it to our hotel and dropped off our bags before heading out to find a good Italian meal.
We walked to the Grand Canal for a quick peak but were too hungry to take in the views.
One challenge of raising a child with anxiety is you never know when, why, or where they may have an attack. As we approached the Grand Canal, Jonathan had an anxiety attack and needed a break. While this pic is too blurry to see well, Michelle and Jonathan shared a long, tight hug as he worked to calm himself down before continuing on. I decided to include this pic to show the family reality and challenges we face that are often behind the scenes. It wasn't his only anxiety attack during the trip but it's the only one documented.
We eventually found a restaurant and enjoyed a lovely dinner together. When Michelle and I were in Italy 20 years ago, the wine was literally cheaper than water at some restaurants...we didn't find that to be the case this trip. Many places sold smaller bottles of wine (almost half-size) that were perfect for dinner. In the background, you can see steps to one of the many bridges you cross to navigate the water-maze of a city. Under the bridge, boats and gondolas spend the day conducting business or commuting...just another day in Venice.
Jonathan had a pizza, which was larger than we expected but he put a good dent in it.
And Kaitlyn had a calzone, which is basically the same pizza but folded up. She just about finished the whole thing! Michelle had lasagna and I enjoyed a very tasty boar meat pasta dish.
The following morning we hit the streets (or sidewalks, more accurately) to get out and about for a half-day of sightseeing. With waterways throughout the city, it wasn't long before we crossed our first of what was likely ~100 bridges for the day.
We grabbed croissants for breakfast and Michelle enjoyed Italian coffee as well.
I think this is my favorite picture of the whole trip. As we passed a shop to our left, we saw an old craftsman carefully working with a wood frame he appeared to be mending. I could have stayed for a while to watch but we had a lot of ground to cover.
Venice is well known for its Mardi Gras masks and they are sold throughout the city all year round. We were coincidentally in Venice for Mardi Gras so we saw plenty of masks and costumes througout the city.
Jonathan really liked this mask but it was close to $50 so told him a picture would have to do :)
The girls each bought a mask but I'm not sure Kaitlyn wore hers again after this picture was taken.
The Grand Canal and gondolas.
The Rialto Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in Venice and a common sighting for any movie filmed in Venice. The next several pics are on or from this bridge.
Kaitlyn is in her Spider-Man web-slinging pose since a scene from one of the Spider-Man movies was filmed on this bridge.
Some of the more serious Mardi Gras costumes were on top of the bridge for tourists to enjoy.
San Marco's Square
Campanile di San Marco - St. Mark's Bell Tower
Plenty of delicious cannoli, donuts, and gelato readily available.
Calle Varisco is listed as the narrowest "calle" in Venice at 53cm wide (20.8"). That's Jonathan halfway in.
We passed on the personal gondola ride (~$80-$100) and opted for a public water taxi gondola to cross the Grand Canal ($2/person). Kaitlyn wasn't sure about the stability (or lack thereof) of the boat along with the waves while crossing the busy river. :)
Caprese salad
Shrimp pesto pasta
Eggplant parmigiana
Around 2pm we headed to the train station for our 3pm train to Rome. While the temps were in the low 60s, which was 25-30 degrees warmer than Warsaw, I soaked up the sun and warmth while we waited.
By the end of the trip, the kids were pretty good at navigating Italian public transit systems and inter-city trains.
Our seats with a window shade, wifi connectivity, and a table extension that flaps down.
Enjoying our 4-hour train to Rome.
We made it to Rome, took a bus to near our hotel, dropped our bags and hit the streets to find dinner. The kids split a pizza, Michelle had pasta alfredo and none of us remember what I had (obviously didn't make a big impression). The following morning, we had a long list of sites to visit starting with the Spanish Steps. Only 5 minutes from our hotel, and right next to Mcdonald's where we grabbed fresh croissants, we climbed the 138 steps to the top and enjoyed the views.
Next stop was a 20-minute walk to the Trevi Fountain.
We all tossed a coin in the fountain which is supposed to ensure a future trip back to Rome.
This massive monument is known as the Altar of the Fatherland and is a neoclassical temple honoring Italy's first king and soldiers from the first world war. It's a beautiful display of Italian architecture and style.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The next several pictures are from the main floor of the monument looking around downtown Rome. Notice all the ruins in the surrounding areas.
We grabbed lunch at a cute little restaurant just down the street from the Colosseum.
Off to the Colosseum after lunch.
Jonathan's artistic photography
View of inside the Colosseum
A reconstruction of what the completed Colosseum looked like around 1700 years ago.
The Arch of Constantine was dedicated in 315 AD by the Senate to commemorate the victory of Constantine over Maxentius to secure solo control of the Roman empire in the West.
Palatine Hill
We started back towards the hotel and made our last touristy stop for the day at the Pantheon. The Pantheon was built as a temple to the Gods and was first constructed in 25 BC with a renovation in 120 AD. It is considered to be the oldest temple in the world and praised for the excellent condition it's still in.
The hole at the top of the dome is known as an oculus and is open to the elements. The floor is angled slightly downward in all directions so when the rain comes in it runs down and out through one of 22 small drains inside.
After the Pantheon, we dropped the kids off at the hotel and Michelle and I ran to St. Peter's Square in Vatican City to pick up our tickets for the Pope's General Audiencet the following day. It was right at dusk and a pretty time to be there.
We also had a nice view of the Spanish Steps on our walk home.
After checking on the kids, we opted for a glass of wine at a cute wine shop down the road.
Wanted to include a similar picture from 20 years ago when we first visited in March 2003. Same cute couple, same Old Navy sweater :)
The following morning we were up and out early on our way to Vatican City. It was a pretty morning but Kaitlyn had a stomach ache and started feeling slightly lightheaded as we approached Vatican City. As we made our way towards the end of the LONG line for the Papal audience, Kaitlyn needed to stop and vomit so we walked a ways off for partial privacy. When she was done, it was decided Michelle would take her back to the hotel while Jonathan and I continued on. After about an hour in line, Jonathan and I made it into Paul VI Audience Hall for an enjoyable experience with Pope Francis.
Afterward, Jonathan and I walked around a bit to kill time before Michelle rejoined us.
We walked around Castle Saint Angelo which was a cool sight to see.
After we met up with Michelle, we were on the hunt for lunch. We passed a nice Lamborghini parked on the side of the road so Jonathan and I slowed down to check it out. A guy came out and explained it was a rental and for $100 we can drive it for an hour with him in the car with us (and a separate ollow car). We chatted for a bit and Jonathan was begging to do it...I was seriously considering it, but in the end, we did not.
Next stop was the Vatican Museum for a tour that ended at the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, Jonathan was starting to get a stomach ache as well so we moved through the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel quicker than we planned to.
This picture depicts the Roman Empire's victory over the Turks in the Battle of Vienna (Austria). We were familiar with the painting as the battle of Vienna was ultimately won when the famed Polish Winged Hussars arrived on horseback and defeated the Turks. Vienna was very close to falling and shifting the power in Central Europe to the Turkish Empire.
We came across a random Ferrari store in town but Jonathan was back at the hotel resting by this time.
Our favorite meal in Rome was at a small restaurant a few streets away from the touristy area. I ordered pasta alfredo with zucchini and buffalo cheese and it was phenomenal. Michelle ordered a pizza with potatoes and mushrooms (strange but tasty) and we split both...along with a bottle of wine.
With both kids at the hotel with stomach aches, we grabbed gelato in their honor.
The following morning we packed our bags and hit the road again back to the train station for our next leg to Florence (Firenze). The kids were both feeling much better by morning but still not 100%.
After dropping our bags at the hotel, we hit the streets to see the sights and look for lunch. While Kaitlyn seemed to enjoy some of the sights, she marches to the beat of her own drum and has her own style. After I took a pic of the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (also known as il Duomo), I turned around to see her taking a picture of the wall. When I asked what she was doing, she said in an excited voice "Look at this butterfly, it's beautiful and it looks just like Harry Styles' butterfly tattoo". Haha, that girl knows what she likes.
Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the masterpiece of Florence. Construction started in 1296 and was ultimately completed in 1436 when the famous dome was finished (designed by Filippo Brunelleschi). It was the biggest church in the world until Saint Peter's Basilica was built in 1615 in Rome. The il Duomo dome inspired a famous artist from Florence by the name of Michaelangelo to design the dome on St. Peter's Basilica. He said it would be a sister dome that was larger but not more beautiful. We didn't take the below pic but it shows the size and scale of the church and dome.
I climbed the bell tower later in the day when the kids wanted to go to the hotel for some downtime.
Kaitlyn was super excited to see vinyl records of two of her favorite artists (Louis Tomlinson and Taylor Swift) out front of a record store in the main square. We took a break and spent about 20 minutes walking around inside.
The dome from inside
The "wild boar of Florence" is a life-sized bronze statue of a mythological Greek boar that is said to bring luck if you rub its snout and drop a coin in the drain (a homeless woman came up to check for any coins that didn't make it down the drain...). The original boar was cast in 1640.
We stopped at Ponte Vecchio ("old bridge") which is another landmark in Florence and the only bridge that crossed the Arno River before 1218. It's also the only bridge intentionally spared by the Nazis during their retreat in World War II.
Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence and the political center of the city. Out front, it displays several famous sculptures including a replica of Michaelangelo's famed David statue (from David and Goliath), the Fountain of Neptune, and Perseus with the head of Medusa, among many others.
The David (replica)
The last few pictures are from my trip up the 278-foot bell tower at il Duomo (estimated 460 steps). Michelle walked the kids back to the hotel since their stomachs were bothering them so I used that time to climb the tower. It was a challenging but enjoyable walk up and the views were beautiful. I must have spent 30 mins taking in the views and thinking of the many famous Florentines who walked the same streets (Michaelangelo, Galileo, Gucci, Leonardo da Vinci).
